I got the idea for this soup when I was making the Italian classic pasta e ceci one evening, although the only thing they really have in common is a pureed consistency and chick peas. Rather than thicken the liquid with the beans though I used fresh corn I bought in the market. The good ...

Marks & Spencers still have some English asparagus left on their shelves so I decided to try to make the most of it before it’s finally gone. Generally at this time of year when the season is technically over the quality is not great and the best option is to make soup; in any case, ...

As you may have noticed it’s nettle season at the moment but this time, unlike last year, I lazily bought mine in the Temple Bar Farmers Market instead of foraging them myself. Although there are lots of similar recipes around for this soup I thought I’d post my one because rather than the usual thickening ...

There are probably hundreds versions of this recipe online and I normally wouldn’t post something you can readily find elsewhere but there are a couple of things different about my version. The most obvious one is that I use a pressure cooker but it’s not for convenience, it’s because it allows me to cook the ...

Ever since I read on the Stitch And Bear blog about Byrne’s in Phibsborough selling smoked ham hocks I’ve wanted to pay a visit to get some for making this soup but it was only last Saturday that I finally got a chance to visit the shop. It’s actually a remarkable place, the first thing ...

I’ve written before about how the synergy between various ingredients that are high in the umami producing molecules (glumates, inosates and guanylates) works and this dish is another attempt to try to maximise that interaction. Of all cultures Japan has turned working with umami into an artform so I decided to make a noodle soup ...

It’s the time of year again for wild mushrooms and as you’ll see I’ve been cooking with them quite a bit lately. I’d like to say I went out and picked them all myself but I haven’t because I still don’t know enough to do so with any confidence. Although there aren’t actually many fungi ...

I always think of beetroot as a winter vegetable but it actually comes into season in July so when I was on Moore Street to visit FXB’s I saw some huge bunches on sale at one of the stalls for only €2 and it immediately reminded me of a recipe I found on the BBC ...